The Devil's Companion
by snapesgirl1313
Summary: When The Phantom of the Opera rescues his successor to the title of Devil's Child, a friendship blossoms. Will this friendship turn into something more, or will the arrival of Christine Daae ruin the relationship? E/OC and a little bit of E/C
1. The Meeting

The Phantom of the Opera was very tired; too tired to continue his work at least. He shut his eyes and allowed his fingers to fly across the keys of the organ sitting in front of him. He smirked. Who knew that this simple inanimate object would instill such love into the ghost's cold heart? But he sighed suddenly, opening his eyes and narrowing them.

There was just one thing wrong with that statement. The organ was an inanimate object. Sure, he could love the music it produced, but it couldn't love him back in any singular way. Not the way a human being could.

The phantom snarled. What was he thinking? How could any human love him, never mind look upon his face without horror and disgust gracing their perfect facial features? His fingers darted to his own face, feeling the smooth texture of the white mask that covered half of his face. That was why no one would love him. For underneath the mask, the phantom's face was grotesque. Ugly and deformed, he hid it even in the solitude of his own underground home.

The Phantom of the Opera lived in the catacombs underneath the Opera Populaire, in the city of Paris. His only, and quite dear friend had hid him there fifteen years ago, and he had almost never left.

He had been inside the Operahouse only a few times in his life underground. He had been outside even fewer times. But the phantom believed that now was a good time to leave. He needed some fresh air, some time to clear his mind. So the phantom stood up from his seat in front of the organ and reached to his face to readjust his mask. Making sure it was on perfectly, he strode to the door of the tunnel that would take him outside and into the streets of Paris.

~*~*~

The Phantom of the Opera sighed. Perhaps going outside wasn't the best idea he had ever had. From the second he had strolled out of the Operahouse, people eyed him curiously. Luckily, it was getting late, so there weren't so many people out to stare at him. But he still felt very uncomfortable.

And now, to top everything off, he was lost. He had not realized that the capital of France was so large, and confusing. And now, he was lost, unable to find his way back to the Opera, and unable to ask anyone for directions for fear of being rejected.

So the phantom sighed heavily, soon giving up finding his way for the night. It was dark now, and almost no one was out anymore. So he resorted to wandering the streets, allowing his feet to carry him to no place in particular.

But once again, that idea wasn't the best either. When his feet had stopped in front of a gypsy camp, he gasped in unintentional fright. Why had his feet brought him here? Surely to torture him, no doubt.

And the Phantom of the Opera growled in anger. Even his subconscious wanted him to suffer. But there was also an amount of underlying curiousness in his mind. Why exactly was he here tonight? Perhaps, he thought, he should check it out.

And without another thought, the phantom gathered up his courage and walked into the camp and straight to the Devil's Child tent. He furrowed his eyebrows and walked into the seemingly empty tent.

But soon, the phantom's eyes, which were easily accustomed to the dark, sought out the cage in the middle of the tent. This cage held the supposed child of the Devil. But the phantom knew better. This child was a like any other normal child on the planet, with exception to at least one deformity. The child really wasn't evil reincarnated; rather a child with an unfortunate abnormality that his parents didn't quite care for.

The phantom sneered. Of course, he was the only one who knew that information. The rest of society believed that this child really did belong to the Devil. They drew away in fear, yet came closer out of interest. The child was a form of entertainment for all the people of typical civilization.

And the ghost found his feet drawing closer to the now sleeping child in the cage. In the dark, he could see the small frame of an exceptionally malnourished child. The child's head was covered with short hair, which ended in a variety of lengths, as if it was cut very hastily. And of course, the child was wearing almost no type of clothing. Just a simple shirt that reached down past its knees.

The phantom's first thought of the child was to call it a boy. But as the child moved in its sleep, its head fell into a light from the moon through the roof of the tent. Instantly, the phantom realized that it had girlish features, allowing him to assume it was a girl instead.

The Phantom of the Opera suddenly felt extremely guilty over the girl's position. He had been the Devil's Child before her. Perhaps, if he hadn't escaped, she would not have had to be there now. But maybe, the phantom thought slowly, he could make it up to her.

Coming to a rash decision, the phantom rapped his knuckles against the iron bars of the cage. Although the noise was discreet, he knew the child would hear it. Being a Devil's Child prepared you to sleep with one eye open at all times.

And just as he had expected, the girl jumped almost immediately into a sitting position, looking around widely for the maker of the noise. And then, her gaze landed on the phantom. Her eyes, also being accustomed to the dark, allowed her to realize that the man was not her master; that he was a stranger. Suddenly, she ducked her head, so that he could see no more of her face. Her entire body shook in fright.

The phantom took in a deep breath. "It's alright my pet." He stopped for a second, surprised at what he had just called the girl. Perhaps he just felt guilty, and wanted to make her feel better. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. "I'm not here to hurt you. I want to help you," he continued, whispering gently. The girl seemed to relax only some.

"Do you know where the keys are?" he asked softly. And at this, the girl's head flung back up to look at the man in surprise. The phantom frowned when he saw her face fully and could not see any deformity. Possibly, it was somewhere else on her body.

But the phantom shook his head to face the task at hand. Getting the girl out of this hellhole. "The keys?" he repeated.

But the phantom did not receive a response. Rather, the girl's eyes grew round and she pointed over his shoulder. The phantom narrowed his eyes and turned to look behind him. His breath failed as he realized someone was behind him, raising some kind of weapon in the air to land on his person. The phantom ducked out of the way just in time to hear the metal weapon crash against the iron cage. The girl let out a shriek of fright and made to curl up in the corner of the cage. "I'll deal with you later, girl," she heard a voice snarl.

The phantom growled as the man hissed at the girl. There was no way that he would let that monster deal with the girl. He would never allow him to touch her again. And with that thought, the phantom turned to beat the gypsy at his own game.

~*~*~

Only a few minutes later, the phantom stood over the gypsy, the metal weapon in his hand, and the man unconscious at his feet. He was breathing heavily and was overcome with the want to just kill the gypsy right there. But the girl suddenly came to the forefront of his mind. Surely, no matter how much she hated her master; she wouldn't want to watch a stranger beat him to death. So, despite how much he really didn't want to, the phantom put down the weapon and took the keys from the man's pocket.

He then went over to the cage and pulled open the door, calling to her softly. "Come on out my pet, it's safe now," he cooed.

The girl looked up hesitantly. The phantom then outstretched his hand to her, in order to help her out. She eyed the hand warily. It was large, and strong, and the girl knew that the man would be able to keep her safe. But she was still cautious. Her eyes then traveled to the man's face. She frowned when she saw that there was a white mask covering one half of his face. She was surprised she had only just now noticed it.

The phantom, who had seen the frown form on her face, sighed. "When I was young, I was also the Devil's Child. My face, underneath this mask, is not much to look upon. Actually, it's rather hideous," he said, answering her silent question.

And as if that was all the persuasion the girl needed, she carefully stood up in her cage and walked slowly to the stranger. Although she refused to accept the outstretched hand, she climbed out of the iron cage and stood next to him, looking up expectantly to the man.

And suddenly, thrown into realization, the phantom understood why the girl was considered to be the Devil's Child. Her irises, as she looked up at him, were bright red. Her pupils were slits and looked as if they belonged more to a cat than a human being. The phantom sighed, thinking that the girl's eyes were strange, but also fairly pretty, and that they were a silly thing to get upset about.

But the girl realized her blunder, and ducked her head so that he couldn't see her eyes anymore. Maybe she thought they had scared him. So the Phantom of the Opera sighed again and grabbed the girl's hand. "Come my pet, I will take you to my home," he whispered. The girl bit her lip and allowed the man to lead her away from the gypsy camp.


	2. His Home

The poor girl was tremendously overtired. The phantom, after finally finding his way through the streets of Paris, had to resort to carrying her to the Operahouse and down to his own home. She was fast asleep the second she was lifted up into his arms.

The phantom found that, despite the seemingly bothersome attitude of the girl, he did not mind. She was really very light, most likely because she probably had never had a decent meal in her life.

But the phantom marveled at the trust the girl had placed in him. Years of hiding had taken away all of the phantom's social skills (not that he had any to begin with), and permitted him to think that no one could ever like a monster such as himself. But here was a prime example of how he was wrong. The girl, in his arms, trusted him.

The phantom felt a feeling a pride sweep over him. This girl did not fear him, but believed that he would keep her safe. The phantom smiled down at the girl and wondered how the young girl could have instilled such feelings in him.

But when he reached his domain, the girl suddenly began to wake up. She sighed and opened her eyes to see that the phantom was staring down at her. The girl smiled shyly, as he let her down from his arms. She mumbled her thanks and looked at her surroundings.

The girl gasped loudly. She turned to the stranger and looked at him, her eyes now wide-awake and full of wonder. "Do you really live here Monsieur?" she asked happily, too excited to be shy.

The phantom couldn't help but chuckle at the girl's child-like behavior. But he really couldn't blame her; she probably didn't have much time to act like a child before becoming a form of entertainment. So he nodded silently to her question.

The girl grinned. "Oh Monsieur, it's so beautiful!" she cried. The phantom smiled. "I rather hoped you would like it, seeing as you'll be living here as well for a while," he said to her.

And instantly, the girl's grin dropped from her face in shock. She stood still, staring at the man, surprise written all over her face. "Pardon, Monsieur?" she asked quietly.

The phantom smiled fully this time. "You heard me my dear. I said you would be living here. Surely you didn't think I would just drop you off in the middle of nowhere?"

The girl, upon hearing his response, grinned largely once more. "Oh Monsieur! Thank you so much! Thank you Monsieur!" she exclaimed, leaping forward to wrap her arms around his waist in an embrace.

The phantom, not used to the feeling of another human being so close, stiffened uncomfortably. The girl, quickly realizing this, let him go and stood back, a frown on her small face.

"Monsieur, surely, in this light, you can see why I am considered the Devil's Child. Surely my eyes frighten you Monsieur, and you wish for me to disappear?" she said quietly, regretting her show of affection. Certainly this man was also regretting his decision to let her stay in his home.

But the phantom sighed sadly. "Do you remember when I told you that I was also the Devil's Child when I was younger?" he asked, and the girl nodded.

"Would you care to know why?" he whispered. The girl nodded once more, and took a deep breath, preparing for the worst.

And when the phantom slowly took his mask off, trying not to scare the girl anymore than necessary, she let out her breath quickly. The man, once his mask was off, shut his eyes tightly, not wishing to see the girl's reaction. No doubt she would scream, and fear him, but he did not wish to see it in her strange eyes.

But suddenly, he jumped in surprise, feeling a small and cold hand on his deformed cheek. His eyes flew open and he found the girl's face quite close to his. She smiled and the phantom tried to find the fear he hadn't wanted to see. But for some reason, he could not find it.

The girl continued to run her fingers over his deformed skin delicately, as if not to cause him any harm. And the phantom realized that the girl wasn't afraid of him. That she was touching him out of curiosity, and she didn't recoil in disgust. The girl must still be very tired, he thought at first.

So the phantom sighed and captured her hand in his large one, bringing it down so that he could kiss her fingertips. He made to return the mask to his face when he was done.

"NO!" the girl's voice cried out, interrupting him. He narrowed his eyes in confusion at the girl's outburst. She bit her lip and made to grab the mask from his hands, but his grip remained tight.

"Please Monsieur, I don't want you to hide your face from me. I want you to keep the mask off," she told him.

The phantom reeled back in surprise, the mask dropping from his hand and landing on the floor next to his feet. "What?" he exclaimed, bewilderment lacing his tone.

The girl beamed. "I want to see your face Monsieur. Not just half of it, but all of it," she repeated. The phantom furrowed his eyebrows. "Why?" he asked next.

The girl giggled quietly. "Monsieur, you're really not as hideous as you think. I think you're actually quite handsome. And besides, it's not fair that you get to hide your face when I can't do anything about my eyes," the girl explained innocently.

The phantom let out a shaky laugh. "Yes, not fair at all Mademoiselle," he said quietly. And then he bent down and picked his mask up from the floor. But he did not place it back on his face. Rather, he turned it over and over again in his fingers as if thinking about his options. He looked back up at the girl in front of him.

"Do you know your name?" he asked gently, remembering the time when he hadn't a name either. The girl bit her lip. "They called me Lucia," she whispered.

Instantly, the phantom grew livid. His eyebrows furrowed and his face darkened in anger. "They call you what?" he hissed.

The girl's eyes grew wide at the sudden change in behavior and she drew back a few steps. But the phantom took a few steps forward so that he could grab her arms in his iron-tight grip. The girl gasped. "Monsieur! Please, stop Monsieur!" she shrieked.

But the phantom could not get past his anger. "How dare they call you the Devil! You do not look half as bad as I do, and yet they call you that! Despicable people. I swear, I will kill every single one of them," he murmured, but loud enough so that the girl could hear him. Her heart skipped a beat out of fright. What was this man thinking?

She tried to wriggle out of his grasp, but it only caused her more pain, so she stopped, her breathing labored. She was shaking uncontrollably, and the man would still not let her go while he whispered now incoherent nonsense under his breath.

"Monsieur! You're hurting me!" the girl cried out, hoping to get his attention. And this time, it did work. The phantom eyes grew wide when he realized what he was doing, and how tight his grip was. He instantly let her go, as if she was burning him. The girl fell to the ground in a heap. Instantly, she started sobbing.

The phantom blinked. What had he done? Why had he reacted in that way? He eyed the girl on the ground and felt the guilt well up inside of him. She was crying because of what he had done. He had scared her. Not with his face, but with his anger. He knelt down beside the girl and laid a hand on her shoulder.

The girl jumped in fright, allowing her strange eyes, now filled with tears, to meet his own gaze. She trembled and looked back down at the ground, afraid to look anywhere else. What had she gotten herself into?

"My pet, I am so sorry," he choked out. "I… didn't mean to hurt you. I… don't know what came over me. Please, I'm so sorry," he said softly, his hand rubbing her thin back. The girl eyed him warily.

"I was just so angry. Those people are disgusting and unfeeling; they infuriate me to no end, " he explained, noticing how her sobbing seemed to cease slowly.

The girl sniffled and wiped her tears away with the back of her hand, still eying him cautiously. The phantom bit his lip. "I never learned how to control my anger very well. I never had to, what with living alone for fifteen years. But I promise, if you choose to stay, I will never hurt you ever again," he said gently, brushing her uneven hair away from her face. The girl flinched when his hands touched her skin.

The phantom swallowed and took his hand away. "I'm sorry," he whispered, getting up from his knees and turned to walk away.

The girl looked up at the man as he walked away. She was still frightened, but she felt that his words were the truth. And besides, she had nowhere else to go. She would just have to be particularly careful not to get him angry, and to stay away when he was. So the girl took in a deep breath and called to him.

"Monsieur, what is your name?" she asked softly. But the phantom still heard her. He turned to face her, his eyes confused. Why would she want to know that?

The man sighed and watched as she sat up on the floor. "My name is Erik," he answered quietly.

The girl smiled weakly. "Monsieur Erik, if you will permit me, I would like to stay here," she told him, making up her mind resolutely.

The phantom reeled back in surprise, blinking at the girl in surprise. "What?" he asked. He realized that the girl was full of surprises. The girl gulped. "But on one condition," she added.

The phantom shook his head in confusion. "What are you talking about?" The girl couldn't help but giggle slightly at his tone. "I want to stay Monsieur Erik, but only if you keep your mask off."

The phantom didn't say anything for the longest time. He watched the girl stand up from the ground and meet his gaze, waiting for an answer. He sighed. "How old are you?" he asked curiously.

Now it was the girl's turn to be surprised. She hadn't been expecting that, but she answered him all the same. "I think I'm sixteen Monsieur."

The phantom shut his eyes and nodded. "Alright, I'll keep it off," he agreed. And when he opened his eyes, he met her grinning face and couldn't help but smirk. "Oh thank you Monsieur!" she said happily.

The phantom shook his head in bafflement at the girl's sudden change in behavior. "Come, I believe you are very tired. Let me show you to your room," he said softly and grabbed her hand gently, leading her towards the back of his underground home.


	3. His Music

The girl had slept almost the entire day, and Erik was beginning to worry. Sure, he knew that she was extremely tired, but certainly no one needed that much sleep, no matter what condition they were in. So the phantom sighed and went to peek into the girl's room once more, only to find that she was still fast asleep. He shook his head; surely there was nothing serious to worry about.

And with that thought, he walked away from the door and back to his organ. He began to work on his masterpiece, _Don Juan Triumphant_, once more.

~*~*~

The girl woke up to a slightly frightening sound. It was eerie and mysterious, and she could not understand where it was coming from, or what it was. The girl narrowed her eyes and went to stand out of the bed she had been sleeping in.

Her feet hit the carpeted floor, and she smiled uneasily. She was still not sure what to make of the new luxuries that surrounded her. For almost her entire life she had lived in a cage. She had grown used to sleeping on the hard iron of the cage.

But now, she was in a whole new setting. She was encouraged to sleep on the soft bed and use blankets to keep warm. And now, the floor was covered in a soft material. The girl shook her head in amazement at her fortune.

But she still wondered where the sound was coming from. So she walked out of her room and down the dark hallways, her ears leading the way.

Soon, the girl found herself in the same room as she had been in the night before. She eyed Erik in the corner at a large object. He was moving his fingers across the surface, and sounds were being emitted from them. The girl bit her lip in amazement at such an item.

She neared Erik, but his back still faced her. He did not even notice her entrance into the room. "Monsieur Erik," she whispered.

And suddenly, the music stopped, and the man whipped around to look at the girl. He looked surprised, and slightly embarrassed. The girl's eyes widened in wonder as she realized it was he that was creating the beautiful, but faintly eerie sounds.

"Monsieur, what is that?" she asked shyly. The man blinked and met the girl's gaze. But then he turned back in his seat, eying the keys. "This is my organ," he whispered.

The girl swallowed. "It's beautiful Monsieur," she commented. The man narrowed his eyes. "What is?" he asked sharply.

The girl bit her lip, knowing not to push his attitude any further. But she did wonder what she had done to make him snap. "The sound Monsieur, I love it."

The man looked back at the girl and smiled weakly. Perhaps he wasn't used to anyone hearing his music. "Thank you my pet," he said softly.


	4. Her Thoughts

Erik had insisted, despite the girl's efforts to get him to continue playing his organ, that it was time she had some food. And in spite of the fact that she had not had proper food for almost her entire life, she still argued.

"Please Monsieur Erik! I really want to hear you play some more!" she exclaimed.

The phantom sighed in frustration. "Honestly, you need to eat. Look at you! You are obviously not well…"

"But I haven't eaten in years!" she cried, interrupting him, and exaggerating quite a bit. "I think I can wait a little longer!"

Erik couldn't help but smirk at the girl's stubbornness and sense of value. According to her, his music was more important than her own nourishment. When the girl crossed her arms in a determined attitude, he rolled his eyes. He grabbed her arm and literally dragged her into his kitchen.

~*~*~

Ten minutes later, Erik had the girl sitting at his table, eating a bowl of soup contentedly. As hungry as she was, she followed Erik's order of taking it slow. If she were to eat it too fast, the soup would aggravate her stomach. But she had to admit, it was the most delicious thing she had ever put into her mouth.

And when she had finished, she looked up at Erik and smiled adoringly. "Thank you so much Monsieur Erik," she said quietly. The phantom nodded.

But suddenly, he noticed that the girl was still in the nightgown he had given her the night before. Erik frowned and the girl looked at him uneasily, sure that his frown meant nothing good. "Monsieur?" she asked hesitantly.

Erik rose from his seat and pushed his chair in. He motioned for the girl to do the same and then walked out of the room, the girl on his heels. His pace was quick, and she had to practically run to catch up with him. But she did not dare say a word, for fear of angering him more. And instantly, Erik stopped in front of her room, waving his hand to let her in before him. The girl gave him an uneasy look, but entered anyway.

The girl shook her head, extremely confused. She went to sit on the bed, while the phantom moved to the corner of the room where a chest sat. He rummaged through it, and eventually withdrew a white cotton dress. He then turned to the girl and looked her over, his eyebrows knotted together.

He then pointed to a door on the right side of the room. "There is a bathroom through that door. Go get yourself washed up and then put this dress on. Unfortunately, it may be a little too bit for you, but it's all I have. We'll get you some better clothes later on," he finally explained.

The girl let out a breath she had been holding out of fear. She now understood that he was not angry with her. She smiled and nodded. "Thank you Monsieur Erik," she said and grabbed the dress from his outstretched hands. She then turned to walk through the door to the bathroom.

Closing the door behind her, the girl filled the bathtub with water and undressed herself. She then sank into the warm water and felt her body relax.

She vaguely heard the door to her bedroom click shut. Erik had left the room to give her more privacy. The girl sighed.

Where was she? Who was she with? And why was she still here? She was obviously terrified of the man. Not because of his looks, (it seemed she had already gotten used to his disfigured flesh) but because of his behavior. Her heart seemed to beat a thousand times per second as soon as she realized that he was irate. She became wary and made sure not to increase his irritation in any way.

But yet, she was still living with the man. He had given her a home. He seemed to take full responsibility for her safety and well-being. And strangely enough, the girl trusted him. Despite his horrible mood swings, she felt that he would protect her. She believed that he would keep his promise to never hurt her again. The girl bit her lip and looked at her upper arms where he had grabbed her. There were two rather large bruises, but they simply blended in with the rest of her body.

The girl sighed again. The two bruises Erik had given her were no different from the ones her gypsy master had given her for a lifetime. His greatest joy in life seemed to be beating her to a pulp. Oftentimes, the girl would fall unconscious for days on end after one of his tirades. And that was how she was forced to live since the age of three. For thirteen long years, the girl had been tortured to the brink of death.

And then the girl's mind flew back to what had happened the night of her rescue. Erik had beaten her master in order to save her. The girl frowned slightly. She also remembered his facial expression. His entire face had been twisted in rage and hatred. The girl wouldn't have been surprised if he had killed her master right then and there. She shuddered and remembered his face the night he had realized what the gypsy had called her all her life.

Lucia. Basically, he called her the devil. Suiting really, considering the fact that she was the Devil's Child. She laughed vindictively. Erik had also been the Devil's Child. Obviously, they both weren't the real offspring of the devil, but humankind had treated them as such. Consequentially, she felt a connection with the mysterious man. They had both gone through the same kind of torture.

The girl contemplated the pros and cons of the man she was now to live with. Yes, he was dangerous and completely impulsive. The girl most certainly believed that he did not have a full grasp of his emotions at any point in time. Just look what he had done to her earlier.

Still, the man could protect her. He had saved her and given her a place to live. He had fed her and bathed her. And he had promised never to hurt her again. The girl decided that she believed he would keep his promise. She smiled and rose out of the tub after cleaning herself. Coming to the conclusion that she could trust the man that she would now live with, she dried herself off with a towel she had found in the corner of the room and made to put the dress he had given her on.

Erik had been right; it was too big for her. The long sleeve, knee length, white dress went past her fingertips and down to her feet. She couldn't help but giggle.

But she shook her head and was grateful that he had any dress at all for her and set to the task of brushing her uneven hair.

~*~*~

After about twenty minutes, the girl was as clean as she could be. Her hair now free of knots, she left her room to find Erik. Once again, he was at his organ, his fingers speeding over the keys.

"Monsieur Erik," she called to get his attention. The phantom turned around to look at how she had cleaned up, and chuckled. She looked ridiculous. The dress was entirely too big for her; they would need to go shopping soon.

But he shook his head and put the thought aside. He rose from his seat at the organ and went to his coat rack. He grabbed two cloaks, throwing one to the girl and putting the other on himself. The girl looked at his with a curious look.

He smiled slightly. "Come my pet. I want you to meet someone very special." The girl suddenly got tense, but nodded all the same. The phantom did not notice her reaction and grabbed her hand to lead her out of his home.


	5. Her Name

When Erik had made sure the girl was concealed underneath the cloak, he took her into the Operahouse. He himself had only been above his home a few times, but he knew the building like the back of his hand. So he led the girl through the Operahouse without anyone seeing them; a relief to both the phantom and the girl.

Erik then guided her to the outside of the Operahouse and onto the streets of Paris. Instantly, the girl tensed up once more. She began to pull against Erik's hand and dug her feet into the ground to get him to stop. When Erik looked back at her, she gave him a pleading look.

Erik furrowed his eyebrows. "What's the matter, my pet?"

"Where are we going?" she asked, her voice tiny and vulnerable.

The phantom raised an eyebrow. "To see an old friend of mine. Like I told you," he responded. The girl looked down, embarrassed, but still did not allow Erik to move forward. He sighed. "What's wrong?"

The girl looked up at him once more. "What if he's around?" she whispered.

Erik jumped, finally realizing why the girl was so terrified. She was afraid of running into her master. He shook his head in anger. Even when she was safe that man would terrify her. But he sighed and touched the girl's shoulder to ease himself down to her level. "He's not. I promise you he won't come near us. And even if he does, I won't let him touch you. Do you understand?"

The girl nodded uneasily. But she seemed to relax some, and let the phantom continue to lead her through the streets.

~*~*~

Eventually, the phantom stopped in front of a house and let go of the girl's hand to knock on the door. Only seconds after his last knock, the door opened wide. The girl was soon faced with an older woman, perhaps five years older than Erik. She wore a black dress with a black headdress. Instantly, the girl drew closer to Erik, slightly afraid of the woman, but more embarrassed about her eyes. She looked down so her eyes faced the ground and felt Erik's arm weave around her shoulders.

But the woman gasped in surprise when she realized who it was at her door. "Erik! What are you doing here? Come in quickly!" she exclaimed, ushering the both into her home and shutting the door quickly.

Erik smirked. "Relax Antoinette. No one followed me. I promise," he soothed her. The woman sighed and relaxed some. But then her eyes landed on the girl and she narrowed her eyes. "Erik?" she asked cautiously.

Erik chuckled and looked down at the girl who was now hiding behind him. "Antoinette, she was at the gypsy camp. She was the Devil's Child. I couldn't just leave her," he explained.

Antoinette jumped up, startled, and looked at the hiding girl. She instantly softened up. "Oh my dear! You must be starved! Never mind exhausted! Come with me, well get you settled," she said, making to grab the girl's hand. But the girl jumped out of her reach and drew closer to the phantom. Antoinette pursed her lips and Erik chuckled again, dropping his hand to rub her back comfortingly.

"Don't worry about her Antoinette. She's fine. She's already slept, ate, and even bathed. I was able to take care of her," he explained, feigning to be hurt by her assumptions.

Antoinette sighed in annoyance. "Of course you did Erik. I wasn't questioning your care-taking skills," the two laughed at the statement. " I was merely making sure the girl was okay."

Erik smirked. "She's fine, if not a little shy," he said, pushing the girl forward a bit. She gasped and looked down at the ground determinedly. "My pet, it is alright to look at Madame Giry. She will not be afraid. Look, she can tolerate my face. She will not even notice your eyes," he told her soothingly. But the girl still did not look up. Erik sighed.

But Antoinette Giry shook her head. "Why don't I make us some tea? Make yourselves at home dears," she said as she left the room to enter the kitchen.

And as soon as the woman left the room, the girl looked up to the phantom. He gazed down at her, an eyebrow raised. "My pet, I was looking forward to you meeting Antoinette. She was the one who rescued me when I was the Devil's Child. You need not to be so shy," he reprimanded slightly. The girl bit her lip.

"I'm sorry Monsieur Erik, I'm just afraid," she whispered. The phantom sighed in understanding and moved towards the girl.

"Do you want to know the other reason we're here? Besides introducing you to Antoinette?" he asked mysteriously. The girl tilted her head to the side, suddenly curious.

Erik smiled. "I am not very well-associated with the public, and I wanted Antoinette's opinion. I don't know many girl's names, so I was going to ask her if she would give you one." The girl's eyes widened, her mouth parted slightly.

"You mean, a real name? A pretty name?" she asked hopefully. Erik nodded and chuckled. Immediately, a grin formed on the girl's face and she jumped toward Erik, wrapping her arms around the man's waist. "Oh thank you Monsieur! Thank you so much!" she exclaimed.

Erik laughed quietly and hugged the girl back, already fairly comfortable with her close proximity. And suddenly, Antoinette came back into the room carrying a tea tray. She cleared her throat to get the couple's attention.

The girl, at the sound of Antoinette's voice, turned around resolutely and looked her straight in the eyes. Antoinette gazed at the girl's eyes for only a moment before smiling warmly and nodding. She set the tray down on the table and invited the two to sit down.

As soon as all three of them had taken a seat, Antoinette smirked at Erik. "Seeing as the last time I saw you, you were about this girl's age, there must be a reason as to why you're here. Please fill me in."

Erik smiled and looked at the girl for a moment. He then turned his gaze to Antoinette. "The girl, she doesn't have a proper name. I was wondering if you could name her," he said quietly. The girl looked on, unable to hide her grin.

For only a moment, Antoinette looked shocked. Her eyes widened, but then relaxed and she nodded. "Of course Erik. Of course sweetheart," she added, turning to the girl.

The girl jumped up in excitement. "Oh thank you Madame Giry!" she cried. Antoinette chuckled and stood up to assess the young girl. She circled her a few times, and pulled her chin up to look at her face closely. The girl tried to stay very still and to not focus on her embarrassment.

The silence lasted a few minutes. Antoinette walked around the girl, looking at everything about her, trying to decide on the perfect name. And suddenly, she stopped walking. Her eyes lit up and she beamed. "Jacqueline!" she cried. The girl jumped in surprise.

"Yes, it's perfect! Erik? What do you think?" she asked. Erik narrowed his eyes for a moment, scrutinizing the girl as well. "Jacqueline…" he whispered. And then he smiled as well. "My little Jacquie," he said aloud. "Do you like it?"

The girl could feel her heart start to beat a million times a minute after hearing Erik's nickname for her. She absolutely loved it! She had never before in her life felt anything similar to what she was feeling at that moment. She nodded her head, unable to speak. Erik smiled.

"Wonderful. Thank you Antoinette," Erik said, a smile still playing on his lips. Jacqueline nodded her thanks, still not capable of opening her mouth.

Antoinette smiled and nodded her head. "You're welcome my dears. But I am afraid that it is getting very late, and I'm feeling a little tired. I must say goodnight and urge you two to visit me again."

Erik smiled. "Of course Antoinette. We'll try." The girl bobbed her head in agreement. And with that, Antoinette led the couple to the door and bade them goodnight, watching as the two sneaked across the street and back into the Operahouse.


	6. Her Gift

Jacqueline had been living with Erik for now, just over a month. They had fallen into a sort of routine within the first week. Jacqueline would wake up in the morning, always after Erik, and he would make them breakfast. It was then until lunch that Erik and Jacqueline would leave each other alone. Erik almost always went directly to his organ, the girl only sometimes staying to listen. Other days, she would return to her room, occupying herself until Erik called for her. After lunch, Erik would bring Jacquie into his library where he would teach her how to read and write. This usually lasted about two hours. After the academics, as he liked to call them, came the fun part. Erik would lead her to his organ, where he would play, and teach her how to sing. Although Erik was an extremely tough teacher, Jacqueline could already feel her voice grow stronger. And Erik would always reward her at the end of a good lesson with a treat after dinner.

Keeping up to his promise to Madame Giry, Erik was the perfect guardian for Jacquie. He gave her everything her heart desired and more. He fed her three times a day, everyday and provided everything of essentiality. He made it his goal to see the girl forever happy.

And Jacquie, growing ever more fonder of the phantom with every passing day, became truly happy. She was glad that she had decided to stay with him, and didn't regret anything about it. She began to love Erik like nothing else in the world existed.

~*~*~

One morning, after breakfast, Jacqueline returned to her bedroom, feeling exhausted after Erik's large meal. He still believed her to be the starving child he first met, and continued to feed her enormous portions at every meal. To be polite, Jacquie ate as much as she could. But she knew she would grow entirely too fat if it didn't stop.

So Jacquie fell down onto her bed and took a deep breath, feeling her stomach about to blow up. She giggled slightly, finding it ironic that she could ever be full to the point of blowing up. Only a month ago, she had been on the brink of starvation.

And suddenly, Jacquie was struck with an idea. She hopped up from her bed and moved to her chest of clothes Erik had bought her a while ago. She dug deep underneath the clothes and felt her hand grasp a book of sorts. She smiled and pulled it into her view. While shopping for clothes, Jacquie had seen the blank book and had fallen in love. Erik instantly bought it for her, not even asking or caring about how she was going to use it. Jacquie had almost forgotten about it. But it had come to the forefront of her mind today and she smiled. Opening to the first blank page, and grabbing a pencil from the top of the chest, she bit her lip. She knew exactly what she wanted to do first. So she closed the book up and tucked it under her arm, walking out of her room and following the sound of Erik's music.

Erik had been playing his organ for about twenty minutes, and Jacquie knew that it would be impossible to break his concentration now. He would not even notice her presence in the room. Still, Jacquie decided to keep her silence. She snuck behind Erik's back as he played and took a seat in the armchair facing him. She curled her legs underneath her and opened the book back up. She took her pencil and started her first drawing since her time with the gypsies.

She drew Erik, crouching over his organ, his fingers speeding over the keys. She drew the organ itself, a beautiful piece of craftsmanship, and Erik's cape as it draped to the floor. She drew his feet hitting the petals underneath the organ and his shoulders moving with the music he produced. She smiled and she contemplated what she needed to add, not aware that the music had stopped, and that her subject had disappeared.

Only when she looked up to watch Erik once more did she realize he was gone. It then hit her that his music had also stopped. Jacquie gasped. Where had he gone? Had he seen her before he left? Why had he left in the first place?

Suddenly, Jacquie felt something come up behind her and whisper in her ear. "I didn't know you could draw, little Jacquie."

The girl jumped in surprise and turned around to see that Erik was behind her. By instinct, she clutched the drawing to her chest, to hide it from him. Erik raised an eyebrow. "Let me see it, my pet," he said gently. Jacquie bit her lip and shook her head.

Erik's eyes softened. "Please," he whispered. Jacquie only tightened her grip even more. Erik smirked and went to grab for the book, but the girl pulled it out of his reach. Erik raised an eyebrow.

"Come now little Jacquie. I only want to see what you drew," he said teasingly.

"But Monsieur! It's not finished yet!" Jacquie exclaimed. Erik chuckled at her childish behavior, but nodded all the same. Jacquie sighed in relief.

"Well, finish it up then," Erik pressured. Instantly, Jacquie's eyes grew wide. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but nothing came out. Realizing this, the girl shut her mouth.

And again, she tried to speak. This time, she actually managed to get words out. "Surely not here Monsieur? Right in front of you?" she asked hesitantly. She attempted to leave the chair she was sitting in, but Erik moved forward and placed his hands on either side of the armchair, effectively trapping Jacquie underneath. She glared at him.

But Erik still moved closer to the girl until his mouth was at her ear. "Please my little Jacquie. I want to see your drawing. Please complete it." Jacquie sighed in resignation.

"Oh alright. But you need to turn around in order for me to finish it," she said, her tone business-like. Erik furrowed his eyebrows in a quizzical manner, not understanding why he needed to do so.

But Jacquie only giggled slightly. "Monsieur Erik, you need to turn around so I can finish up the back of your head!" she explained happily.

At the end of her statement, Erik gasped and took an involuntary step back. His eyes grew wide and his mouth hung open. "You… you're drawing me?" he asked incredulously.

Jacquie instantly nodded, as if was the easiest thing in the world to understand. But Erik was in shock. He couldn't believe that the girl was drawing a portrait of him! But even through his shock, he was still able to obey Jacquie's order to turn around, albeit slowly.

It only took a few moments for Jacquie to complete her portrait, and when she was done, she told Erik to turn around with his eyes closed. Again, Erik obeyed the young girl. Jacquie smiled slyly and got up from her chair and moved towards Erik. She then placed the book into his open hand. Instantly, Erik's hand tightened around the hard surface. Jacquie bit her lip and gave him permission to open his eyes.

Erik's eyes immediately opened and he allowed them to fly over the page. After only about a second, his eyes grew wide and he looked up at the girl in front of him, his features shocked. Jacquie looked up at him, her eyes innocent.

"Where did you learn to draw like this?" he asked curiously.

Jacquie shrugged her shoulders. "I taught myself I guess."

Erik furrowed his eyebrows. "At the gypsy camp?" He then looked through the rest of the empty pages for any more drawings. He seemed disappointed to find none other than the one he had already seen.

Jacquie nodded her head to his question. "There was a boy, I don't even know what his name was. But he used to sneak me pieces of paper and a pencil so I wouldn't get bored. I just drew whatever was around me."

Erik's eyes lit up for a slight second. "Where did you put those drawings?" he whispered.

Jacquie cocked her head to the side once more. "Well, I used to put them underneath the little straw in the cage, but he found them. I got a beating for that. And after that, I just threw them out of the cage to be thrown out."

Jacquie saw Erik's body go rigid. He always seemed to get the most angry when she talked about her old master's methods of discipline. She bit her lip and waited for the explosion to come.

But surprisingly, none came. Erik took a deep breath and his body relaxed instantly. He eyed Jacquie's drawing once more before handing it back to the girl with a smile on his face.

"It's beautiful little Jacquie," he whispered. The girl smiled shyly, but she rejected the outstretched book.

"Thank you Monsieur Erik, but I don't want it. I want you to have it," she said quietly. Erik's eyes lit up once more.

"Really? You don't want it?" he asked hesitantly. It was if he really did want it, but didn't want to take it away from her. Jacquie giggled and nodded her head.

"I can make plenty more. I want you to have that one," she said as she ripped the portrait out of the book and handed it to him. Erik took it, his hand shaking only slightly and smiled at the girl.

"Thank you my little Jacquie," he whispered. Jacquie giggled again and wrapped her arms around his waist in a tight hug, which he easily returned.


	7. His Thoughts

Late that night, after Erik had seen that Jacquie had gone to bed, he picked up the drawing that the girl had created that afternoon. He let out a sigh.

Jacqueline had quickly taken a liking to him. She had instantly gotten used to his face, as Erik had gotten used to leaving his mask off. They lived in a repetitive daily routine, and neither of them seemed to mind much. He gave her all that she required, and allowed her anything she wanted. What more could he give her?

He had taken her in, for God's sake! He had given her a home, and food, and the assurance of safety. Yet why did he feel that he needed to do more?

Was it because he himself still did not feel comfortable with the girl's presence? Because every time she hugged him, although returning it immediately, all he wanted her to do was stop touching him! That at that instant, he wanted to push her to the ground, and yell at the top of his lungs. To scare her; to see the tears run down her cheeks!

But Erik shook in fear. No, he had promised her he would never hurt her ever again. And despite his sudden bursts of anger, he intended to keep that promise. He remembered the look of terror in her eyes when he had grabbed her that first night. He had felt entirely guilty, and never wanted to, ever again.

So he would have to deal with it, wouldn't he? The girl seemed to view him as a sort of guardian angel. What kind of angel would ever even think of hurting the girl? Erik let out a breathy laugh.

Why did the girl trust him so? Obviously, she liked him because of all that he had done for her. But why, why on Earth did she throw herself at him, like a little lost puppy? Why did she seem so completely dependent on him?

He, who was a stranger, and still was! She still did not know half of who the Phantom of the Opera really was. She didn't know that he slipped out almost every night to prey upon the poor performers in the opera above. She did not know what kind of monster he was.

Erik let out another sigh and looked at the picture that was still clamped in his hands. It was perfect, he had to admit. She had been able to capture the movement and the pure spirit of his playing. Erik could almost feel the devotion she had for him oozing out of the pencil on the paper. She really did love him.

And Erik knew that he could not return her feelings. Perhaps, he did love her deep down inside him somewhere; but he couldn't find it. And he wasn't about to go digging for it. He knew that if he could learn to tolerate her behavior as well as her presence, he would be able to survive happily with the girl. All he needed to do was get used to her.

Erik smiled slightly. He knew he could do that. He already felt the need to protect the girl from any danger there could be. He knew that there was the evidence he needed to prove to himself that he did care for her. And if he learned to grow to like the girl's presence, that was all the better for the both of them. Perhaps then, he could do some digging.

Erik stood up from the seat he had been sitting in and went to place the picture on the wall next to his organ. Maybe that would remind him of how much the girl cared for him, and how much he could grow to care for her. To remind him of what he was working for.

And Erik nodded, making a decision. He would first have to allow himself to be devoted to the girl. He would have to swallow his pride, and learn to enjoy another person's presence. This girl was just like him, and he knew that she would never betray him. With that thought in mind, Erik knew that his job would be all the easier.

But then, he would have to prove to her that he cared for her. He had to let her know that he did not regret his decision to let her stay in his home. He had to be as devoted to her, as she was to him. And Erik finally felt that, with practice, he would be able to do that.

Erik wanted to girl to stay with him. He wanted to make her happy. He wanted her to know that he was there for her, always. But Erik knew that it would take a long time until she knew all of it. And until then, he would try to become a better guardian for his little Jacquie.


	8. Their Scare

Erik narrowed his eyes as he accidentally hit the wrong note on his organ. He snarled and immediately ripped his hands away from the wretched keys and stood up in anger. He had been trying to compose a new song for the past hour, and it just never seemed to come out right. For some reason, he could not concentrate on his music.

Erik sighed, attempting to calm himself down. He looked up at the wall next to him and frowned. Just about year after he and Jacquie began living together, there were now many more pictures drawn by the girl, instead of just one. Her first picture was still in the middle of the wall, but now many others surrounded it. Jacquie had drawn almost everything she could think of including her room, the organ, her favorite book, and finally, of him. The majority of the pictures were of Erik, his face never covered by his mask.

Erik couldn't help but think that his supposed motivation was a waste of time. A year had passed, and he still did not care for the girl as much as she cared for him. Of course, it most certainly didn't help when _**her**_ devotion only increased over the months.

Erik knew for sure that he did care for the girl, but it was nowhere near the amount of love Jacquie held for him. And as he stared at her drawings, he felt guilty. Sure, he had paid for all of the supplies she used to make the pictures, but what did that really mean?

He let out a breath of air. It meant that he was trying to care for her. It meant that he wanted to. But for some reason, he was just not able to. Erik shook his head in confusion and sat back down at his organ, instantly beginning to play once more.

But of course, after only four notes, he hit the wrong note once more. Erik growled in frustration and kicked the bottom of the organ. He seethed as he stood up once more. **WHY** couldn't he focus on his music?

Usually, Jacquie sat right behind him, watching as he composed new pieces and that never bothered him. So why, when she was gone, and he had complete silence, was he not able to play? And suddenly, Erik thought of something. Where exactly was she?

Erik furrowed his eyebrows as he thought. She had told him that she was going to go exploring an hour ago. What could possibly be taking her so long to get back? When she went exploring in the past, she was usually only gone for 20 minutes at most. She was always afraid that she was going to get lost. Perhaps she had wandered too far tonight?

Erik suddenly felt the need to go check on her; just to make sure she was all right. He smirked as he realized that maybe he did care for her more than he liked to admit.

But Erik shrugged his shoulders and went to the corner of the room to retrieve his mask. He did not know whom he was going to encounter, so he needed to be cautious. He placed the white mask on his face and added a cloak to the ensemble. He checked himself in the mirror to make sure he looked frightening enough and began to walk towards the doorway.

But suddenly, Erik heard the groan of metal grates from far away. He frowned and looked around at his surroundings. Erik began to realize that it had sounded like the grates above his trapdoors. They had not been used in quite a while, so it was no surprise that he had not recognized the sound immediately. But he was still confused as to why the grates were moving at this time of night.

So Erik sighed and moved to the level that allowed the grates to move back up again, pulling it to set the intruder free. He heard the screech of the metal against the stone walls and knew that whoever was in the trap was now safe. He just had to hurry to be able to catch the trespasser unawares.

~*~*~

Jacqueline had been walking down the large stairway. Luckily, she had not gotten lost and knew exactly how to return to Erik. So she continued her way down the stone as a leisurely pace.

She was proud at herself for being able to walk as far as she had without getting lost. Now that she was about seventeen, she felt that she should be smart enough to wander around her own home without getting lost. And to prove her point, she had succeeded! Jacquie awarded herself a smile.

But suddenly, as Jacquie stepped onto another step, the stone below her feet vanished, dropping the girl down through the staircase and into a lake of water. Jacquie gasped at the freezing temperature of the water and tried to control her breathing. But suddenly, she heard a screeching sound from above her head. Jacquie looked up only to see that a metal grate was rapidly descending down into the water.

Jacquie's eyes widened when she realized that it would not stop in order for her to breathe. If the grate did not stop moving, she would drown! Jacquie no longer cared about controlling her breathing; instead, she tried to take in as much air as possible. But she knew she couldn't just watch as her incoming death approached!

So Jacquie dove under the water, looking for a way out. But her heart tightened when she saw that there was none. She quickly returned to the surface to take a deep breath, only to be forced down into the water once more. She could feel her heart pounding hard enough to break through her chest.

Was this really how she was going to die? Surely Erik would have noticed her disappearance by now, or have heard the moving grate. She hoped to God that he had and was coming to save her this very second.

And unexpectedly, there was a loud bang, and Jacquie looked above her head. She frowned as she noticed that the metal was now moving the opposite way. Her eyes widened as she quickly swam to the surface, taking in a huge breath of air. She swam over to the edge of the water and climbed out and onto the flat surface. Jacquie didn't even notice how cold the stone was as she lay down on her back. She took in large breaths of air, just happy to be able to breath. She closed her eyes and began to relax, thankful that she was still alive.

~*~*~

Erik ran all the way to the trapdoor. He knew that he had to hurry or the intruder would get away. He wanted to punish the troublemaker for their insolence. And that thought only made him push himself farther.

But Erik gasped and instantly stopped in his tracks when he came to the water underneath the trapdoor. There, lying right in front of him was Jacquie. Erik narrowed his eyes, wondering why she was on her back in the middle of the pathway.

And as he neared her, he realized that she was soaking wet, and breathing deeply. Erik's eyes widened in surprise. She had been the intruder! She had fallen through the trapdoor! She had almost been killed!

He whispered her name and could feel his lip curl up when her eyes opened instantly in response to his voice. "Oh Jacquie," he whispered again and knelt down beside her.

Jacquie focused her eyes on Erik's form and grinned. "Oh Monsieur Erik, I knew you would come!" she cried weakly. Erik seemed to stiffen when he heard her feeble cry of exclamation. He knew that she was not all right. If she had been, she would have jumped up and hugged him as tight as she possible could. And even though he hated when she did that, he couldn't help but wish she would.

"But Monsieur, it's really cold now," Jacquie added, shivering slightly. Erik bit his lip and took off his cloak and draped it over her frame. She smiled in thanks.

"What were you thinking? I told you exactly where all the traps were just before you left!" he reprimanded her. Jacquie chuckled softly.

"I guess I forgot. I'm sorry Monsieur," she explained innocently. Erik swallowed as he watched her eyes fill with tears. "I'm glad you stopped the trap though. I was really scared," she told him.

Erik frowned when he realized how lucky she was to still be alive at that moment. If he had left before hearing the grates move, she would have drowned in the water. Erik shut his eyes to block out the image. But he could feel his heart start to beat faster and he knew that he was afraid as well.

So to get away from the water, Erik lifted the girl up into his arms and carried her away as quick as he possibly could.

"Monsieur, I'm really tired," she told him after a few seconds.

Erik scowled. "Don't you dare fall asleep, do you understand me?" But Jacquie did not answer verbally. Instead, she nodded her head against his chest in agreement, her eyes already shut. Erik felt his heart clench in fear and started to walk faster. He knew that she was very tired and extremely cold. He was sure that those two symptoms did not bode well for the girl.


	9. His Feelings

Sorry for the cliffhanger guys. But here's the next chapter!

* * *

When Erik had reached the living area of his underground home, he placed Jacquie on the couch in front of the fireplace. He tucked his cloak in around her and made sure that she was comfortable and as warm as she could possibly be. When he was finished, he turned around and set to work on making a fire. This would be the first time he had ever made a fire in his home. When he first moved in, he realized how useless the thing would be, but he still made it anyway. At that moment, Erik was glad he had.

And when Erik had created a roaring fire he turned back to look at Jacquie. She was sleeping, which frightened Erik, but he stayed somewhat calm as he watched her chest rise and fall. At least she was breathing.

And at that moment, Erik thought of doing something that he had never done before. He sat down on the couch next to Jacquie and put his arms around her shivering form. He pulled her into his lap and held her close. His heart was beating, but he knew that he had to do it.

He felt her forehead and frowned when he felt the heat emanating from it. She had a fever already. Erik felt a pang of guilt.

Jacquie moaned and moved closer into Erik's chest. But suddenly, as if realizing where she was, she looked sleepily up at him. There was a hint of confusion in her eyes. Erik smiled weakly and told her to rest. He needed her to relax so he could think about what to do with her.

~*~*~

A few moments later, Jacquie was curled up against Erik's chest and she was sleeping. Erik had gotten into the habit of stroking her hair to help her relax. And now that she was asleep, he found that he couldn't stop the motion.

Erik gulped as he looked down at the girl in his arms. Her fever had increased and she was sweating. Erik bit his lip. This was all his fault!

How could he have let her out so long? After twenty minutes, he should have left his organ and gone searching for her. But instead, he was too focused on his music. Erik let out a quiet growl. How could he have let her in so much danger?

Jacquie had been the first person to fall into that trap in years. There obviously wasn't that much danger of being found out anymore. He should have removed the traps the second Jacquie came to live with him!

And Erik cringed as Jacquie let out a cry of pain. He pulled her in tighter as tears leaked from her still shut eyes. Erik knew that he needed to do something in order to help her fast. But what could he do?

Erik knew that she couldn't stay underground. It was much too cold for her fever to go away. She needed someplace warm, and she needed to be in a bed. Erik knew that it had to be someplace above ground. But who on Earth would take in a sick girl with red eyes, who was previously living with a man in a mask? There was just too much incongruity about the situation.

But suddenly, Erik thought of the one person who would take Jacquie in. Antoinette! Of course! Why hadn't he thought of that before? Erik couldn't help but let a smile form on his lips.

With that idea in mind, Erik stood up from the couch with Jacquie in his arms. She was still fast asleep, and Erik knew that it was best that way. And so with his mask on, and his cloak around the girl in his arms, he made his way into the Operahouse.

~*~*~

Antoinette Giry was asleep when she heard the frantic knocking at her door. She awoke in confusion. Who would be knocking at her door this late at night? But she hurried to the source of the noise before it could wake up her 6-year-old daughter.

And when she opened the door, she was met with a frightening sight. Erik stood before her, his eyes anxious, and Jacquie lay in his arms, seemingly unconscious. Antoinette gasped. "Erik, what happened?"

"Can… can we come in?" he asked shakily. Antoinette noticed the tremor in his voice and was shocked. There had to be something really wrong for him to get so upset. So despite her better judgment, Antoinette opened the door wide and allowed the two inside her home.

Erik went straight into the sitting area, where he gently placed Jacquie on the couch. He was thankful that the house was already quite warm because it would help the girl immensely. And when he turned around, he came face-to-face with the owner of the home.

Antoinette eyed Jacquie and noticed how sick she looked. Her face was deathly pale, and she was sweating; yet shivering in her sleep. She neared the girl in order to put her hand on her forehead and gasped when she did. Jacquie was burning up!

"Erik?" she asked, needing an explanation. He sighed as he looked at Jacquie pityingly. He then looked up at Antoinette.

"She fell into one of my traps. The water was really cold. And now she's sick. I don't know what to do Antoinette. I was hoping you could help me."

Antoinette frowned. "What do you mean? How could I help?"

Erik took a deep breath. He really did not want to say what he was about to, but he knew it was for the best. It would help Jacquie recover, and that was the most important thing. So Erik gulped and opened his mouth to speak. "I… I was wondering if you would take Jacquie in," he said quietly. At that moment, Antoinette gasped in surprise.

"She needs to recover, and she won't do that underground. She needs to be up here. It's her best chance. Please Antoinette!" he pleaded. Antoinette stood, shocked next to the girl in question, and couldn't believe her ears. Here he was, begging her to take the only human companionship he had away from him. She shook her head to clear her thoughts.

But Erik took that the wrong way. With a shake of Antoinette's head, his whole world crumbled. His heart clenched painfully, and he felt water come to his eyes. If Antoinette didn't take Jacquie in, there was a sure chance that she would die! He couldn't even imagine that! "NO! Please Antoinette! Please you have to do this, I beg of you. Please Antoinette," he exclaimed, his voice cracking. He found himself kneeling on the floor after his legs had given out. He knew he must look like a wreck, but he didn't care. He needed Jacquie to be safe. He just needed it.

And Antoinette's eyes widened. She had never seen Erik act so emotional! Jacquie must have really weaseled her way into his heart. So she knelt down beside Erik and placed a hand on his shoulder. She could feel how badly he was shaking with even that small contact. Antoinette sighed.

"Erik, don't worry about it. I'll take her in, and I'll nurse her back to health. She'll be as good as new in a few days. I promise you," she told him gently. Erik instantly looked up at his friend.

"Really?" he breathed. Antoinette nodded. "Oh thank you Antoinette! Thank you so much!" he cried, a smile breaking through.

Antoinette frowned. She had never before seen such a display of emotion from the man kneeling in front of her. She realized that Erik must really care for the girl, even if he didn't want to admit it himself. But she soon returned Erik's smile.

"I should leave now. It's late. I'm sorry to have bothered you Antoinette. But you don't know how much this means to me. Thank you so much my friend," he said, getting up from the floor and making his way towards the door. Antoinette nodded her goodbye and turned to the sick girl on her couch.

Antoinette noticed just as the door behind her shut, that Jacquie was clutching Erik's cloak around her body. Antoinette smiled slightly, and covered the girl in more blankets to keep her warm.


	10. His Decision

Hey guys. Well, I was reading my reviews and I realized that **MrsMargeryLovett **has a very good point. I don't really have a time period. So... let me tell you now. It takes place about ten years after Madame Giry rescues Erik, so that would make him about 20 years old. (He looked about ten years old in the movie). Madame Giry is 5 years older than him as well. And I decided to make Meg a year younger than Christine, so at this point, Meg is six and Christine is seven. (She's coming soon)

And secondly, I want to convey my thanks to all my readers. I really appreciate it, and sorry for the wait. So... here's the next chapter!

* * *

Erik returned to his underground home in a daze. This was all wrong! How could he have let Jacquie into so much danger? What had he been thinking?

And now his home was empty of her presence. For the past year, Erik had become accustomed to seeing her everywhere he was. She used to follow him like a shadow. And now, she was gone. She was lying on Antoinette's couch, sick with a fever. And it was all his fault!

Erik sighed and looked around at his home. He sneered in anger. But as he looked around, his eyes landed on the wall next to his organ. For some reason, he felt the need to get closer to the pictures Jacquie had drawn for him.

Their purpose was to help Erik try to get closer to the girl he lived with. And they hadn't worked. Erik glared. It seemed that a life-threatening experience was the only thing that would make Erik realize how much he really cared for the girl.

Erik bit his lip, remembering how he had acted in front of Antoinette. Thinking back now, he was overcome with embarrassment. In his grief, he had fallen to the floor. He was so upset that he had nearly cried! Erik scoffed.

He hadn't cried since his years as the Devil's Child. How could that one girl mean that much to him? Erik shook his head. It didn't really matter much how. What mattered was what he was going to do about it.

Erik sighed. Jacquie was already staying with Antoinette until she recovered from her sickness. But suddenly, a thought came to him. If she hadn't been living with him, none of this would have ever happened!

Erik growled and continued to think. If the night Antoinette had named her, she had kept Jacquie instead of letting the girl leave with him, she would have been safe! If Erik had refused to take care of the girl, she wouldn't be sick right now! Erik took in a deep breath to keep himself from breaking something. He suddenly felt overcome with self-hatred.

The one thing that Erik did not regret was his rescue of Jacquie from the gypsy camp. He knew that if he had not done that, she would have been dead a while ago. At least that gave Erik a bit of reassurance.

But he still shouldn't have kept her with him after that. He should have known that the underground was too dangerous for a young girl such as her. He should have gotten rid of her the first second he could.

But instead, he kept her. He gave her everything she ever asked for in an attempt to make her happy. What he had thought was the right, was actually the wrong thing to do. Erik sighed. Why? Why must he be the cause of all misery around him?

And suddenly, Erik's heart came to a stop. With that thought, he came to the realization that Jacquie shouldn't live with him anymore. Not just until she recovered, but for the rest of her life. He would only hurt her more if she came back. But no, it wasn't that she shouldn't live with him. It was that she couldn't. Erik wouldn't let her.

Erik didn't even bother to stop himself as he gave into the urge to break something. His hand rose to the wall in front of him and he ripped down four pictures in his fist. He crumpled them into a ball and he threw the paper into the lake. Erik gasped in fury.

He needed to get rid of every last reminder of Jacquie he had in his entire home! She could not live with him any more; not in body, not even in spirit. Erik roared in anger as he took down all the rest of the pictures the girl had drawn. His arms stretched above his head and his fingers clawed their way down the wall, ripping the papers into pieces. The papers fell to the ground, and Erik kicked them in annoyance.

He shook in rage, and also in fright. With these thoughts and his actions, Erik could feel himself turning into an animal. He was succumbing to his urges and at that moment, he didn't care much. So he continued to rampage the house, in search of anything that would remind him of the girl he had unintentionally come to care so much for.

But even in his rampage, Erik couldn't help but be surprised at how much of his surroundings reminded him of Jacquie. He had broken almost everything that the girl had even touched in her stay with him. And he had even saved her room for last.

But when Erik found himself in the girl's room, his heart clenched and he felt himself gulp. He found that he couldn't make himself touch a single thing in that room. He started to shake so badly that all he wanted to do was lie down on her bed and sob. But instead, he forced back his tears and left the room. He made sure to lock the door on his way out as well.

~*~*~

Three days had passed since the night Jacquie had left Erik. He had been able to calm himself down and clean up the mess he had made in his anger. Now, if anyone dared to sneak inside his home, they would never know that he wasn't the only one who had lived there. He had left no remnants of the girl inside his home. That was of course with exception to her room, which he still refused to touch.

But Erik shook the thought away. He had received notice from Antoinette that Jacquie was feeling much better, and that she was now on her feet. So Erik knew that now was the time to tell the two of his plans for Jacquie's future.

With that, Erik placed his mask on his face and headed above ground and towards the Giry household.

~*~*~

A strong knock resounded off the front door of the Giry's home. Instantly, the bustle that had occurred only moments before inside, ceased and all three occupants were silent. Antoinette glanced at Jacquie, who had been sitting on the couch with her daughter, Meg. Jacquie's face was now a mask of fright. Antoinette jerked her head and the girl instantly stood up from the couch to leave the room. But as Antoinette neared the door to look outside, she smiled and stopped Jacquie.

"Jacquie, it's alright. It's just Erik. Answer the door for him."

And with that, Jacquie's eyes grew wide in delight and she raced towards the door, flinging it open. And when she saw Erik standing in the doorway, she grinned. She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. In her joy, she did not even notice that his arms hung loosely at his side, instead of wrapping around her waist.

"Oh Monsieur Erik! I'm so happy to see you!" she exclaimed as she removed her arms from around him. She grinned again, which only made Erik's heart clench and his face twist into a grimace. But Jacquie was too cheerful to notice this as she politely allowed Erik to enter the house.

When Erik had entered the house, and Jacquie had shut the door behind him, Erik gulped. He made eye contact with Antoinette and asked if he could speak to her privately. A confused look came across her face, but despite this, she nodded and made to leave the sitting room. She motioned for Erik to follow her.

"Monsieur? Should I get ready to leave?" Jacquie asked before he left. Erik stopped in his tracks, and shut his eyes painfully. He kept his back facing the girl.

"No, Jacquie. That will not be necessary," he whispered and left the room as quickly as he could as to not hear anymore from the girl. Jacquie gasped in surprise at his strange behavior and knew that something was wrong. But she knew that she would figure it out before the day was out. So she sat back down on the couch with Meg and continued to read aloud to her.


	11. His Goodbye

Erik took a deep breath as he watched Antoinette shut the door to her office. Erik knew that Jacquie had not followed them, so he was free to speak his mind. He most certainly did not want to be the one to tell her the news.

Antoinette sat down in a chair and welcomed Erik to do the same. Erik shook his head to decline. He preferred to stand.

And when Erik didn't start the conversation, Antoinette sighed. "Erik, what is it?" she asked gently. Erik looked up at her, his eyes wide. Antoinette bit her lip. What could possibly be bothering him now?

But Erik looked back down to the ground and gulped. "She's not safe," he whispered. Antoinette frowned, not understanding his point.

"Erik, what are you talking about?"

Erik took a deep breath. Why couldn't he just tell her what he wanted her to do? Why was it so difficult? He bit his lip and looked pleadingly at his friend. He didn't want to tell her, but he knew he had to.

"I don't want Jacquie to live with me anymore," he burst out. Antoinette jumped at the force in his voice, and gasped at what he had said. Erik began to fidget with his hands when she didn't respond immediately.

"What?" she finally asked, still shocked at what he had said.

Erik hesitated. "What I meant, was that, I don't think she should live underground any longer."

"What do you want me to do about that?" she asked shakily. She still could not see what he was trying to accomplish.

Erik looked up and Antoinette was taken aback when she saw pain in his eyes. "I want you to find her a place in the Operahouse. Give her someplace to live, something to do."

Antoinette didn't know what to say. She could easily tell that this whole conversation was difficult for him, but she didn't understand why he was doing it. Why he was trying to rid himself of the girl? "Erik…" she started.

"Please Antoinette. She's in too much danger with me. She'd be much safer up here with you. It's better for her," he interrupted.

Antoinette bit her lip. "You haven't told her this, have you?" But she knew full well that he hadn't. He hadn't seen the girl for the past three days. And each day, Jacquie grew more anxious about his return. She wanted to go home with him.

Erik shook his head. "I… I was hoping that you would tell her…"

Antoinette stiffened. There was no way she was going to let him off that easy. She shook her head resolutely. Erik's mouth opened as he began to gape in astonishment.

But before he could say anything, Antoinette had beaten him to it. "Absolutely not! I will not tell that girl that you left her. She's has been looking forward to going home with you ever since you left! I will not let you leave without saying goodbye to her!"

Erik swallowed and was effectively silenced by his friend. He looked up at her cautiously to see her seething. He bit his lip. "Antoinette, does this mean that you'll find her a place in the Operahouse?" he ventured.

Antoinette turned her steely gaze towards him. But when she had caught sight of his hurt expression, she calmed down some. She relaxed and nodded her head. "I'm not happy about. But I will if you tell her why."

Erik's heart skipped a beat at the thought of the upcoming situation. How would he be able to tell her that? It would break her heart! But Erik knew that it was for her safety, so he nodded his consent. And Antoinette couldn't help but frown at the man standing in front of her.

~*~*~

Erik found Jacquie where he had left her. She was reading aloud to Antoinette's daughter and Erik couldn't help the feeling of pride that swept over him. She was reading so well, and it had been he who had taught her how. He had succeeded in teaching her something useful.

But as Jacquie looked up from the book and saw Erik she stopped reading and grinned at him. Erik found that he couldn't return the gesture. This time, Jacquie noticed.

She whispered to Meg and the little blond giggled and took off from the couch and into the next room. Jacquie then shut the book and placed it on the table next to her and got up from her seat. She then neared Erik.

"Monsieur, is there something troubling you?" she asked sweetly.

Erik gulped and took a deep breath. "No Jacquie, there is nothing troubling me. But I do wish to speak with you about something. Come," he said and led the girl back to the couch. He sat down and motioned for her to do the same.

She sat down slowly and placed herself as close to him as she possibly could. Erik grimaced and moved away from her. Jacquie's eyes widened only slightly.

Erik sighed when he saw her reaction. "Jacqueline, there's something you need to hear. It will be difficult, but I ask you to be reasonable, and not act like a child."

Jacquie narrowed her eyes. In just those few sentences, Erik had turned into a completely new person. Firstly, he had called her Jacqueline. He always called her Jacquie. And secondly, he had told her not to act childish. He always allowed her to be a child, claiming that she hadn't time for that when she was younger. Jacquie bit her lip, suddenly feeling very worried.

But all the same, she wouldn't deny Erik anything. So she nodded her head and waited to hear what he had to tell her.

Erik took a deep breath and watched the girl. She had suddenly stiffened and Erik knew she was waiting for him to speak. He knew that he had to tell her, and he wanted it to be over with as fast as possible. But he also knew that he had to be careful. Jacquie had promised that she wouldn't act childish, but she didn't know what he had to tell her yet.

"Jacqueline, I've just spoken with Antoinette. And she has agreed to find you a place in the Operahouse," he started out, his voice official. He had noticed the girl's eyes widen, but she was keeping her emotions in check.

"You will not be living with me any longer. You will live in the Operahouse, above ground, and in a dormitory," he finished, feeling slightly better after saying it.

But the same could not be said for Jacquie. She was sitting beside Erik, her eyes large and teary. Her mouth was in a tight line, as if she needed to keep herself from crying out. She looked at Erik pleadingly.

Erik knew what that meant. She was asking if he was serious. "I'm sorry Jacqueline. I really am. But this is for your own safety. You are not as safe underground as you could be up here. Take your best interests to heart."

And suddenly, a tear trailed down Jacquie's cheek. Her entire body was shaking, and she was trying not to act foolish. But she just couldn't hold it in. Suddenly, as if she had exploded, she opened her mouth and let out a sob. The rest of her tears fell from her eyes and she tried to grab at Erik's hand.

But Erik stood up from the couch, away from the now sobbing girl. He felt disgusted with himself, for putting her though this. But he was also disgusted with the girl, for acting the way she was. It was as if her whole world was falling apart. And he knew it most certainly wasn't. She would have a much better life in the Operahouse.

So he stood and watched the girl cry, feeling pity, hatred, and disgust all at the same time. But he knew that she would have to get over it.

"Erik! Please don't leave me!" Jacquie cried out. For some reason, after she had started to cry, she couldn't get herself to stop. Surely Erik must think that she was so stupid! But she just couldn't believe what he had said. It just wasn't possible.

And unbeknownst to her, Erik became rigid at her exclamation. Never had she called him simply Erik. She had always placed the "monsieur" before his name. And she was begging him not to leave her. He felt his self-control wilting away, much to his displeasure.

All he wanted to do was to comfort the girl. To sit back down on the couch, pull her up into his arms, and tell her everything was going to be all right. But then, he wouldn't have accomplished anything. She needed to hate him. She needed to hate him so much, that she would never want to see him ever again. That way, she would always be safe.

So Erik let her cry. He let her fall to the floor before his very feet and beg to be taken back. He let her apologize for what she thought she had done wrong, when in reality, she had done nothing. He had been the one to do her wrong. He felt his heart clench, but refused to show any emotion on his face. He let her deal with it on her own.

And finally, when her sobs ceased to a small amount, Jacquie looked up at him. She couldn't help but wonder why he hadn't cared that she was crying. That he didn't even seem to notice that she was upset. So she ventured to speak. "Erik…"

"Are you through?" he asked, interrupting her angrily. Jacquie gasped in surprise at his tone. He was never sharp with her. But she nodded in response to his question.

"Good, then I will take my leave now. I wish you luck at the Operahouse," he said distantly and turned to walk away. Jacquie's eyes widened in shock.

"NO! Wait!" she cried and got up from her knees and rushed after him. She ran into his back and wrapped her arms around his waist. It was as if he was the last thing she would ever touch in her life. She tightened her grip when Erik tried to remove her hands.

"Jacqueline, let go of me now," he ordered. And for the first time in her life, Jacquie disobeyed him. She refused to let go. Erik hissed in anger. "Let go of me you little pest!" he yelled.

And instantly, Jacquie let go of Erik, as if the contact had burned her. She looked up at him with wide eyes and opened her mouth as if to speak. But before she could utter a word, Erik turned around and was out the door in a flick of his cape, leaving Jacquie heartbroken and confused in his wake.


	12. Her Room

Hey everyone, I think I'm on a role! This is my third chapter and I've never written so much in my life. I think finals should come around more often. That way, I would write more chapters instead of studying just like I am now. But oh well, just one more day left of school... Hooray!!

Thank you once again for the reviews. I love you all!

P.S. - Rachel, if you're reading this, don't you dare laugh at her last name! It was the only one I could think of at the moment. Lol.

* * *

Antoinette sighed and moved away from her position against the wall outside the sitting room. Her heart went out to the girl; Erik had certainly not made that situation easy. He had been cruel and harsh, but Antoinette couldn't blame him. What he had told Jacquie was just as hard to say as to listen to.

Antoinette knew that Erik didn't want to part with Jacquie. The girl had allowed him human companionship for the first time since he had been living underground. And even though he acted like he didn't enjoy her company, Antoinette knew better.

She knew that if Erik hadn't wanted her around earlier, he would have kicked her out. Antoinette would have been given custody of Jacquie a long time ago if he had felt that way. And it was only now that Jacquie was given to Antoinette because Erik cared too much for her.

He now realized how much danger was associated with living underground. He had taken action to make Jacquie safe because he cared.

But now, Antoinette couldn't help but feel that he had ruined any relationship the two ever had. Jacquie was extremely upset at the moment, but Antoinette knew that the girl would soon be angry. She would be livid with the man who had abandoned her.

And suddenly, Antoinette heard a small sob from the next room over. She let out a breath and bit her lip. She then stood up straight and walked into the sitting room. She only faltered slightly in her step when she saw that Jacquie was kneeling on the ground.

~*~*~

Jacquie heard Madame Giry enter the room, so she looked up at the woman. Her eyes still full of tears, she could barely see her surroundings. But she heard Madame Giry make a pitying sound and felt her hands around her waist, pulling her to her feet.

Jacquie looked at Madame Giry as the older woman wiped her tears from her face. She bit her lip to try to calm herself down.

"Now, I know you're upset my dear. But I'm going to ask you to calm down. We need to get to the Operahouse to find you a position as quickly as possible," she explained softly. Jacquie felt herself nodding her consent and took a few deep breaths. Yes, she was still dying on the inside, but her future boss didn't need to know that.

"I'm not sure which you would rather do: dancing or singing?" Madame Giry asked as she took a handkerchief to wash the girl's face.

Suddenly, Jacquie stiffened under Madame Giry's touch. No, she would not be singing. Erik had taught her how to sing; the action reminded her too much of him. She never wanted to sing ever again. She clenched her fists, already angry with the man. "I want to dance," she said softly.

Madame Giry nodded her head understandingly. "Alright my dear, that's probably better. I'm the head of the ballerinas. We don't even have to ask the manager's permission to let you in. We'll also have to make up a last name for you. How does… Bavier sound? "

Jacquie began to nod her head when a thought suddenly struck her. "Madame Giry, you don't mind helping me, do you?"

Madame Giry felt her heart tighten. The poor girl was worried about imposing herself. She sighed and shook her head. "Don't you worry about me sweetheart. You worry about yourself right now. I don't want to see you too upset. This is a new experience and I'm sure you'll do fine."

Jacquie smiled gratefully. "Thank you Madame. This really means a lot to me," she whispered. She couldn't trust her voice to speak louder for fear of bursting into tears again. She was so lucky to have Madame Giry. Without her, Jacquie wouldn't have known what to do at all.

But Madame Giry was going to fix everything. She would give Jacquie something to do in the Operahouse, a home to live in, and Jacquie would be able to forget all about Erik. Jacquie couldn't help but smile at the thought. Sure, she was upset now, but she could learn to get over it.

Madame Giry saw the girl's smile and smiled back. "Come, we should head over to the Operahouse now. Let me get Meg and we can go."

Jacquie nodded and followed the older woman into the next room to collect her daughter.

~*~*~

"Girls, we have a new addition to the ballet. This is Jacqueline Bavier. She is not very experienced in dancing, but intends to practice to catch up with the rest of you. Please, make her feel welcome," Madame Giry said aloud. Surrounding her were about twenty young girls. They varied from Meg's age to even older than Jacquie. But despite their age differences, none of them were different in their facial expression.

Jacquie had looked up not more than once, and every single girl had their eyes on her. Each one of them had immediately looked down, having seen the color of her eyes. Now, after Madame Giry's introduction, they began to whisper amongst themselves. Jacquie kept her gaze to the ground and bit her lip.

But Madame Giry would not stand for their actions. She clapped her hands loudly, startling the girls out of their conversations. She turned her steely glare to all of them. "I believe I told you to welcome her. I don't want to hear a single critical comment about Jacqueline. Do you understand?" she asked harshly.

All at once, the girls began to nod their heads up and down. They all apologized for their rude behavior, but did not once look at the new girl. There was no truth to their regret. They were just trying to appease their teacher. And Jacquie knew that. Her eyes narrowed in anger.

But before long, Madame Giry was dismissing the girls. They all ran away in groups of two or three, no doubt to talk about Jacquie once more.

Madame Giry eyed Jacquie's stiffened position and sighed. She knew that it would take a while for the girls to get used to Jacquie. And Jacquie would just have to deal with their ridicule until they did. Madame Giry felt sorry for the girl, and she planned to do everything she could to help the girl, but she knew that it wouldn't be much.

So Madame Giry grabbed Jacquie's hand and dragged her to a dormitory. She knew that no one would want to share a room with the red-eyed girl, so it was imperative that she had her own room. And Madame Giry knew exactly which room was perfect for the girl.

She knew that she was just probably making matters worse for both Jacquie and Erik, but Madame Giry couldn't help it. She decided to put Jacquie in the room that held one of the many secret passageways to the underground of the Operahouse. But this wasn't the only thing special about the room. From that specific room, you could hear Erik's organ the clearest. If he were to play loud enough, Jacquie would be able to hear every note he hit.

Madame Giry bit her lip when she opened the door to the room, but she was relieved not to hear a sound. She ushered Jacquie into the room and showed her around the small room. Jacquie smiled gratefully, and Madame Giry almost felt guilty for what she was doing.

"Thank you Madame Giry. I really appreciate all that you've done for me, including what you told those girls just now," Jacquie said quietly. Madame Giry nodded her head and motioned to the bed.

"I'm sure you're very tired. Why don't you get some sleep, and I'll come get you tomorrow morning."

Jacquie nodded in agreement and climbed into bed, not even bothering to take her clothes off. Within seconds, after Madame Giry had pulled the covers around the girl, she was asleep. Madame Giry sighed and left the room as quietly as she possibly could.


	13. His Organ

Erik found the next week unbearable lonely without Jacquie's presence. It was most certain that he knew his loneliness was necessary for the girl's safety. But he still did not like the feeling. He had lived alone for ten years, but just one year with the girl had allowed him to forget life without human companionship. He realized that he now began to thrive on her company. And he was once again deprived of it.

Erik was not sure what to do with himself. Without Jacquie to take care of, he began to deny himself care as well. In the past week, Erik had eaten about three times, much unlike the three meals a day he would take with Jacquie. He had also not slept for more than a few hours at a time. He was exhausted and hungry, but did nothing to appease his suffering.

And as for how he spent his time, he did nothing worth bragging about. Most of the time, he wandered aimlessly around his underground home. He sometimes wished he would get lost, and not be able to return to his home. Maybe he would die in the maze of corridors.

But much to his displeasure, Erik knew the entire underground like the back of his hand. He knew that he would never get lost. So after a day of wandering, Erik would trudge back to his home and stare at the room around him. For the past week, his home had done nothing to snap him out of his stupor.

And not once, did he ever think of touching his organ.

~*~*~

For the past week, Jacquie had been practicing day and night. She worked as hard as she possibly could without any rests. She knew that she needed to catch up with the rest of the ballerinas if she ever wanted to succeed.

And succeed she did. To Madame Giry's, and much of the rest of the ballerina's amazement, Jacquie soon danced better than most of the younger girls. Despite her exhaustion, she continued to dance every day from the crack of dawn into the late hours of the night.

And there was not just one benefit of working herself to the point of collapse. Every night, when she would climb into bed, she would instantly fall into a dreamless sleep. Meaning Erik never had the chance to appear in her dreams.

And in the morning, she would wake in a daze, change into her costume, and practice for the next however many hours in state of deep exhaustion. Erik never made himself known in her thoughts. It was as if she had forgotten all about him.

But that was not all together true. For every once in a while, Jacquie would awaken from her self-induced trance, and tears would fall from her eyes. But she would try her best to hide them from the rest of the girls. And if Madame Giry ever saw her, she would smile pityingly and allow her to leave for a moment.

But Jacquie would just shake her head, dry her tears, and begin to dance once more. This would effectively take her mind off Erik and she could go on with her life for another day.

~*~*~

It had been exactly ten days after he had forced Jacquie to leave him. Erik sighed, still depriving himself of much-needed essentials. But that didn't matter to him much. He knew that he would soon fall back into the pattern of living the way he had been used to before Jacquie had shown up. It would just take some getting used to.

But he needed to find something to do! Life like this was just too unbearably boring. There had to be something that would make his life easier to tolerate! But for some reason, he could not remember what he used to do before he had taken in Jacquie. His eyes roamed around his room and he shook his head in anger.

But suddenly, his gaze landed on his organ and he frowned. He was drawn to it for some indescribable motive. And as he stood before it, his eyes saddened. He looked up at the wall, where Jacquie's drawings had once hung. What had been the purpose of them?

Oh yes, they were supposed to remind him of how much she cared about him. To get him to care about her just as much. Erik laughed dryly. That had only worked after she had left, and after he had destroyed the pictures.

Erik bit his lip. Every time he played his organ, he was supposed to remember Jacquie by looking at the pictures next to him. And then suddenly, it hit him! He used to play his organ during his time without Jacquie!

Erik's gaze ran across the pages on top of the organ and realized that they were covered in dust from disuse. He took the topmost page and shook the dust off. His eyes widened when he realized what it was. A page from his _Don Juan Triumphant_!

Now he remembered. He had started creating a masterpiece before she came. For the first ten years in his underground home, he had been working on the music. When Jacquie came, he still worked on it, but not nearly as much. And now that she was gone once more, Erik could compose again.

He smirked and dusted off the seat before the organ. He sat down and ran his fingers over the keys. He did not begin to play; he just wished to feel the keys under his fingers once more. And suddenly, Erik looked up at the paper in front of him, and began to play.

* * *

Sorry it's so short. I intend to post the next chapter soon! Thanks.


	14. Her Misery

Like most nights, Jacquie had crawled into bed, extremely tired and ready to fall asleep. As she pulled the covers over her body and shut her eyes, she could feel herself already drifting off to sleep. But suddenly, she heard a sound begin to drift into her room. Soon the sound was all around her. She widened her eyes in surprise, not sure where the sound was coming from or what it was.

But as she sat up in her bed to listen more closely, she gasped in horror. Even in her dazed state, she knew exactly what that sound was. She even knew where it was coming from. She felt herself begin to shake in fear.

She was almost entirely sure that it was Erik's organ. And that it was coming from his home underground. She let out a shaky breath and clamped her hands over her ears, attempting to block out the sound. But unfortunately, it did not work.

She felt tears leak through her tightly shut eyelids and she didn't even try to stop them this time. There was no one to see her anyway. And she felt that at this moment, she was entitled to do anything she wanted to. Why was she to suffer so?

She was supposed to be trying to forget all about Erik. But yet she could hear his music loud and clear! The one thing that would remind her most of him. She couldn't just ignore it and go to sleep.

But despite the claim, Jacquie clamped her hands tighter around her ears in a last attempt to block out the eerie, yet beautiful sound. Still, there was no different effect; she could still hear every note. She lay back down on her bed, pulling the covers over her head. Tears still fell from her eyes, and she began to sob. She curled up into a ball on her side and tried as hard as she could to fall asleep.

But by the time the sun rose in the sky the next morning, Jacquie hadn't slept at all. She had stayed up all night, trying to block out the music that absolutely refused to stop, no matter how much she screamed for it to. And even when it had stopped (suddenly, and very abruptly) she still couldn't rest. The music still floated through her mind and she couldn't make it stop. So she continued to lie curled up underneath her covers, sobbing like a baby.

And that was where Madame Giry found her at the crack of dawn, ready to wake her up in order for her to start practicing. But when she opened the door to the room, and heard the girl's sobs, she bit her lip. She immediately knew what had happened.

So she sighed and shut the door behind her, moving to sit on the edge of Jacquie's bed. But when Jacquie had heard the door shut, she had gasped and instantly sat up to face Madame Giry.

By an instinct, Madame Giry stopped in her tracks. Jacquie looked absolutely terrible. Her already red irises now blended in with the rest of her blood-shot eyes. Her eyes were puffy and her face was flushed. Her entire face was some shade of red.

But Madame Giry sighed, knowing that she must have been crying all night long. She finished her way over to the girl and gave her a pitying look. "Oh Jacquie, what happened my dear?" she asked innocently. She didn't have the heart to tell her the truth just now.

Jacquie sniffed and bit her lip, shaking her head. "I… I…" Jacquie broke off, forcing herself not to cry. Madame Giry wrapped her arms around the girl and rubbed her back, attempting to consol her. "I heard music!" she cried out suddenly.

Madame Giry shut her eyes, feeling very guilty. "What kind of music my dear?"

Jacquie sniffed again. "_**His**_ music."

Madame Giry pursed her lips. But before she could say anything, Jacquie continued her explanation.

"He was playing last night. I could hear it," she whispered. And suddenly, she pushed away from Madame Giry and got out of her bed. She looked at herself in the mirror and wiped away her tears. She went into the bathroom and washed her face, coming out to begin getting dressed. Madame Giry still sat on the bed, watching her with a sad look.

Jacquie pulled off her nightgown and put on her ballerina costume. Madame Giry stood up to tie her up in the back and pull her hair out of her face, tying a ribbon around it. Jacquie attempted to smile in thanks, but it only ended up as a grimace. Madame Giry bit her lip and put her hand to Jacquie's shoulder.

"You don't have to practice today, my dear. It's obvious you haven't slept well. The room is quiet now; take a break from dancing. Sleep," she told her. But Jacquie shook her head, a frantic look in her eyes.

"I have to practice Madame! Please don't make me stay here," she exclaimed. And with that, Madame Giry sighed, but nodded her head. The two then headed out the door to practice Jacquie's newest steps.

~*~*~

Only a few hours later, the rest of the girls in the ballet appeared. Madame Giry had been working with Jacquie since then, but as soon as her daughter appeared, she smiled and stopped. Her daughter came running onto the stage, screaming for her mother, laughing all the way.

And despite being interrupted, Madame Giry laughed as well, catching her small daughter in her arms. Jacquie tried to smile again, but was too tired to try very hard. And minutes later, the rest of the girls had appeared.

Now, all the girls were lined up in order from shortest to tallest, stretching to get ready to practice. Madame Giry was standing in front of them, counting aloud to keep the girls in time. And when they were done, Madame Giry ordered them to stand in correct formation. The ballerinas rushed to get into place as quick as possible.

Madame Giry stood before the record player, putting the needle on the record to turn it on. She yelled instructions to the girls as they instantly began to dance. All except for one.

As soon as the music had been turned on, Jacquie's heart had stopped. The ballerinas were dancing to the music made by an organ that day. She could agree that the music sounded nothing like what Erik would ever play, but it still sounded too familiar. Instantly, regardless of her efforts to stop, she began to cry. Tears immediately fell from her eyes and she let out a sob. Her knees felt weak, and she felt herself fall to the floor. Suddenly, she buried her face in her hands and began to sob uncontrollably.

As soon as the other ballerinas realized that one of them wasn't dancing, they stopped in annoyance. One of the girls called out to Madame Giry, who had been distracted with another ballerina who had messed up a step. "Madame Giry, how come she doesn't have to dance?" the girl asked snottily.

Madame Giry looked up in shock. "What are you…?" she began. But when her eyes landed on Jacquie, she stopped. Her eyes softened and she told the other girls to move away from the girl. She slowly approached the girl and pulled her head out of her hands. Jacquie shook, but managed to tell Madame Giry something.

"Turn the music off, please," she begged, her voice shaking as well. And as Madame Giry focused on the music that seemed to be playing so far away, she gasped. Instantly, she knew she had made a mistake. She called for one of the ballerinas to turn the music off, but Meg had beaten the others to it. And as soon as the music was off, Jacquie sighed in relief, but she still cried, not being able to stop for the moment.

Madame Giry sighed and stood up, taking Jacquie's hand in her own and pulling her to her feet as well. Jacquie leaned against Madame Giry, too weak to walk on her own. "Girls, we will take a five minute break. I'll be back soon," she told the ballerinas, who were already whispering about what had just happened. Some of them were laughing at Jacquie's misfortune.

But Jacquie didn't even care at the moment. All she wanted to do was go to her room, climb into bed, and sleep. She didn't want to think about dancing, music, or even Erik at that moment. All she wanted to do was forget about everything that had happened.


End file.
